The drive times for this cat sitting gig mean I drive into the sun at dawn and dusk, and the smears from my attempts to clean the inside of the windshield are most prominent. This morning found me acting on the second part of the Consumer Reports recommendations for clean windshields, at an automotive store picking up an eye-wateringly expensive (when compared to paper towels, newsprint, old dish cloths, or microfiber cloths) chamois to finish the job. It should last forever.

Another small task that I've put off for ages is painting the decorative bars on my house. Charmion moving into a new place has me thinking of what I did when I first took possession here (in addition to building a new garage and remodeling the old one into a hall and two other rooms); things I meant to do it when I moved in but never got around to. A few years ago I bought a quart of flat black latex enamel and stored it somewhere so well that it hasn't turned up since. As I work on improving my mood through small tasks, I think I can do the bars on a single window at a time as time and weather allow - I have 12 windows and two gates. It will take more than a quart, but I'm starting with that. Before each window I'll use a rag and water with a little bleach to wipe them down. The carpenter/painter who initially told me how said to clean them first so mildew doesn't make the paint bubble over time. In the end, they should go from being an ugly gray to an invisible black.

How are the cats doing at their extended-stay cattery?